Need some help narrowing down a day trip from Paris

I love how you evaluated each pros/cons :-)

I will share that a friend recently did the London/Paris day trip in reverse (they were in London and daytripped to Paris). She said the entire day was just too hectic overall. Early train, running from one thing to the next, really late by the time they got back to their hotel. She said she wished she'd just left Paris for another trip.

I just went to London in January and the British museum was mobbed. In January. We waited in line nearly 30 minutes to get in when it opened and then spent the time being frustrated by the number of people in the museum.

I've always found plenty to do in Paris (11 trips now :) the entire time. That being said, I did once on an early trip with my mother, go to Brussels. I would agree with the boring, but we spent the night and went to Bruges as well. That was interesting. Another time I went to Paris alone and daytripped to Chartes to see the cathedral which did not disappoint. The town is cute for lunch and a little stroll with a reasonable return train time.

Another time we were supposed to daytrip to Giverney to see Monet's gardens but a train strike put the kabosh to that.

We're all different in our tolerances, but my vote would be for the one that is a short commute, has one main attraction and then just enjoy a wander and a bite before returning to Paris. But that's me -- I don't like being hectic or having to get up at 4 am to make an early train and not getting to bed until very late. :-)

One other suggestion which might not be feasible depending if you've already booked air.... Spend a few days in Paris and then Chunnel to London and spend a few days there and fly out of London. I did that in reverse once, London-to-Paris.

Agree with the poster above who would opt for a short commute and an easy pace. Reims, in my opinion, fits that bill nicely.

In addition to the great cathedral where many kings of France were crowned, there is the Museum of the Surrender where the papers ending WWII were signed, and a small bit of Roman ruins. There are also some close, easy to get to, champagne houses to tour. Most everything is within walking distance. An exception would be a chmpagne house that is a quick easy to do bus ride. If you decide on Reims, we can steer you to a great place to eat. Of course, you don't have to make a definite decision now. Maybe decide after three or four days in Paris.

I agree, a shorter commute is less tiring and prone to stress. Reims sounds nice, but have you considered Chartres? Very short train trip and the cathedral is gorgeous. The town is charming and they have great restaurants.

It would help to know when you're going, as Giverny is a great day trip from Paris when the flowers are in bloom. It doesn't sound like that's your bag, though.
Re: Amiens, I did a quick google of "day trip to Amiens," and this is the first article result:
https://www.traveldiaryofafightingcouple.com/one-day-in-amiens/

I believe you have shown, in previous discussions, a tremendous tolerance for long train trips. (You did not say "Train" in the OP here, by the way.)

I personally prefer 1 hour daytrip train rides, and consider two hours to normally be the outside limit. In fairness, between business and vacations, I've been (age 73) to Europe about 50 times. But I really think you are wrong to believe that four hours of travel and six hours of visit mean that "you saw" this place or that place. It sounds unkind, but one term used here for that is "ticking the boxes." It's perfectly true that YOU are entitled to set YOUR OWN "travel style", and my sentiments are not controlling for your decisions.

We try to keep a hotel room for three or four days (not counting major cities of the world, where we often stay 7 nights our first time.) But you might reflect on whether your packing (I'm a big packer ... ) allows you to give up a room for one night in a major destination away from a "base" city.

Have you considered that Eurostar often calls for a 90-minute early check-in at BOTH ends of a Paris-London trip? People have been refused boarding because they did not allow for this Immigration and paperwork time. You don't get to decide this, it's a firm rule.

There certainly are a number of Normandy tour companies that meet trains and provide transportation. But they can get expensive, and you are exposed to (possible) train delays, and weather conditions, because you will have to pay for the tours months in advance. The D-Day sites involve a lot of moving around.

I would not consider Caen/Bayeux as a day trip if you are unwilling to do an expensive tour and you are not driving. Public transportation to the actual sites doesn’t really exist.

London would be too far with too much to see for just one day, IMO.

Thanks for the responses so far everyone!

BJL - While I actually "thrive" on chaotic itineraries, youre definitely not wrong about London. However its still sitting there in the back of my mind, so I figured id add it to the list. Ive heard similar things about the British Museum too.

The downside to Bruge/belgium other than Brussels is id have to book another ticket on the Belgian transit system. Not necessarily a big deal but the more steps in a trip the more things can happen. So I try to avoid those situations (again unless I was STAYING in Belgium for a few days that would be a different story). Giverny was also on my radar, but its kind of one of those "only going for a single reason" trips, and while I do get why people go there and appreciate art and Monet, I try to avoid those type of day trips. Doesnt mean I WONT go, just explaining my reasoning. But multiple people have suggested it.

I do appreciate and get your reasoning for choosing where to go though! Ill keep it in mind. Im travelling in April so there is plenty of time to figure it out!

TC - Multiple people seem to be opting for Reims. And while I cant in any way argue the bonus of the very quick travel time, an extra hour to get to somewhere doesn't dissuade me too much. That being said, the things you mentioned do interest me and are a big plus for a reason to go there!

Laurie beth - At least 3 or 4 people have suggested Chartres! Ill have to take a better look at it. The only downside is that it leaves from Montparnesse, which is about an hour transit ride just to the train station. Although, even with that the actual travel time including that would only be 2.5 or so hours. Ill look it up a bit more. Thanks for the suggestion!

G3rryCee - Apologies. Ill be travelling in April. Ill be in Paris from April 11 to 17th. Im planning this day trip for Tuesday April 15th. And on the contrary, Im an avid gardener, studied forestry and appreciate art! April might be a great time to see Monets garden (and I have a feeling my highschool art teacher might beat me if I dont see it lol). However going somewhere for a single thing is something I try to avoid. A lot of people have suggested it though so Ill definitely keep it in mind and research it a bit more. The town looks really nice on its own!

Tim - You're not wrong about long my train tolerance lol. You were commenting on my Germany trip thread correct?

Don't worry you're not unkind or rude. And after asking about that trip and this one im starting to understand that im quite the exception with how I travel. I will say though, that I DO have quite the ability to actually "see" something in a relatively short amount of time. Ill admit maybe not QUITE as well as spending a few days, but I do have to say that it is very easy for me to get to see a place in a short amount of time. That being said, I understand if people cant/don't do that or cant understand how I personally can. Now, I DO need someone to give me a but of a headshake sometimes. If i were totally hyping up, say London or even Brussels, I would completely agree with you. But a city like Amiens or Reims, you can totally do it justice in a day. At the very least, both are well within my "tolerance for long train trips!" lol

Ive now learned that, while Ive been minimizing the amount I bring (no checked bags for many reasons) that I do bring too much clothes and am willing to pack enough for like 5 days (plus rain coat and sweater) and just do laundry. I can easily eat dinner, and do laundry roughly at the same time) at the end of every few days. Even with just the back back and duffle bag I brought to Germany, it was a pain to haul that to 2 different hotels, even with me only doing it once, and hauling it around the airport. For day trips I only bring a back pack. However for this trip ill be heading down to avignon/Nimes/arles/Marseille/lyon. So ill be packing less.

Tim (continued) - Im also finding the exact same thing about the D-day tours. That is why its a major con in my list and is dissuading me from doing them. However if I end up being super indicisive with where and what do to, i might just bite the bullet and take the tour from Paris. At least the tours are quite thorough and do a good job of seeing the area. However I can easily , for example, see Reims, see everything there and even do a tour from there for that price. Hence why im posting about help.

I watched videos for a few hours about travelling to and from Paris on the Eurostar and.... its definitely..... something lol.

Even with all that ive said though, I do value your option and suggestions, especially from a well traveled person like you.

Contrary to Tim, you can "see" the British Museum in 6 hours. If you love ancient history, that's the place for you, unless you got your fill at the Louvre. If you do decide to go to London, you should go there first and only see other sites after you get your fill of the British Museum. You probably know this, but people on this forum say that the HOHO bus is not a good idea in London.

If you decide to take a train leaving from Montparnasse, be sure to go up to the observation deck of Montparnasse Tower, which is open late. Great views of the city that do not include the Tower itself, which is considered ugly in its modernity.

Cala - Well he's not necessarily wrong either. Its a massive museum and while its not quite as big as the Louvre, or even the vatican it has a ridiculous amount of things in it. I also read his comment more or less as " is it worth the money to go to London and only see the British Museum" and i don't disagree with him there either. However I do think I would have a bit of time to look around. And while I absolutely HATE HOHO buses, in this situation it might be the perfect way to see as much as possible. Again IF I choose to go to London.

Use the RATP app to determine travel time within Paris. Gare Montparnasse is 28 minutes from Gare du Nord, not an hour as you mentioned.

travel4fun - Ill take a look at it. This was based on the time of day, and using buses (because 5 am and apparently according to google metro doesnt run that time). I always err on the longest transit time to be safe. Most were a half hr ish, some were 40 depending on time of day/method of travel.

If I had a strong urge to see D-Day sites in a single day from Paris and was willing to wake up super early, I'd take Overlord Tours' 2FS tour, which requires the client to take the early train from Paris (client buys the ticket), then picks people up right at the Bayeux train station and returns the group to the train station at the end of the day. The negative side of this tour is that it means an early start in Paris and a late return. The positive side is that one gets essentially a full-day tour, and the company uses vans rather than large buses, so there's not a lot of time wasted unloading and reloading passengers at each stop. Other options (bus tours from Paris or half-day tours from Bayeux) include way too much transportation time and not very much time actually at the D-Day sites, which are scattered and some distance from Bayeux.

Tour 2FS

The tour is currently priced at 120 euros. The 6:12 AM train from St-Lazare in Paris to Bayeux is priced at 16 euros one way for the random January date I checked.

I'm not encouraging that day trip, because you'd miss out on the other points of interest in Bayeux (the tapestry, the cathedral, the historic district, the invasion museum), not to mention all else that Normandy offers, but I wanted you to know there is a reasonably affordable option.

For me Reims is not a particularly visually engaging place, aside from the cathedral; France has uncountable cities and towns that are more attractive. However, there are the champagne houses and the small Museum of the Surrender to add to the cathedral. I didn't find the museum very interesting, but I am very big on WWII museums, so I've seen many larger ones.

In making decisions like this, I usually ask myself whether I'd rather have a full day in my base city or X hours at the proposed destination. At least for Reims, X would be a rather large number.

If you show up at the British Museum at 10 AM, you will almost certainly be in line for 30 minutes, if not longer. The ground floor of the museum is a mosh pit; the Egyptian section is the most popular. You cannot see things quickly, because it takes time to fight your way through the crowds and get close enough to the non-overhead displays to be able to see them. That is probably why they have a copy of the (fairly small) Rosetta stone somewhere on the second floor. The second floor is not as mobbed as the ground floor. The museum is especially crowded on rainy days, per museum staff.

The Eurostar takes 2:18 each way. Adding the 90-minute check-in time brings the round trip to nearly 8 hours, not including your travel time to/from the train stations in Paris and London. To me, that would be justifiable only for a very special, time-sensitive activity that wouldn't take much time--like seeing a temporary museum exhibition of extreme importance to me that was about to close.

Craven- Expedia offered that tour (roughly 180 CAD). However there were only 4 or so reviews. That could be because it's new on the website. And so far that's the only real cost effective option. I have zero problem with early starts though.

Reims for me has the gate of Mars and the cryptoportico. Some nice churches, and as you said a long time there enabling me to do champagne tours. Now if I had to chose between a champagne tour and d-day beaches the d-day beaches would win hands down. I'm just worried about delays, strikes and other problems getting to bayeux. I know the sncf would reimburse me for the trip but would the tour company/Expedia? Not sure in that case. However there are things to see in Reims.

That bring said, the 300 dollar or so trip from Paris would at least be done with a coach, and atnleast be dealt with. It's a tough choice. I also believe that price shouldn't be the determining factor on trips like this too. An experience like the d-day beaches may be once in a life time and a much stronger experience than just seeing another city. That also includes london (which would work out about the same price). I have a few weeks before the train tickets will be available (they're up to march in some cases) so I have time to think on it.

Do some calculating about how much actual D-Day sightseeing time you'll get on a bus tour leaving Paris at whatever time that trip starts. Be sure the bus isn't going to spend an hour driving around Paris, picking people up at different hotels. How many people does the bus hold? How long will it take to get all those people on and off the bus? I bet a bus tour from Paris amounts to not much more than a half-day D-Day tour, whereas the Overlord Tour is a full-day tour.

Tour 2FS is similar in content to the Overlord Tour I took in 2017. I thought we covered a lot. But you're right that a train issue on the day of the tour could be a problem. Overlord specifically says it is not responsible for train delays, so you'd probably have to depend on trip insurance for coverage, and many of us don't buy trip insurance for modest incidental expenses like that.

Pencilstealer

How many days are you in Paris? I know your total trip is 12 full days in France, not counting your arrival day when you fly into Paris and take the train to Avignon.

And that you are spending well considered time in the south in Avignon, Nimes and Arles before you spend some time in Lyon. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/need-help-filling-in-my-itinerary-for-april-continuation-of-previous-post

Are you still planning to arrive in Paris on the 13th of April and fly home on the 17th? Is your day trip coming out of one of your 3-1/2 days in Paris? Or are you arriving in Paris on the 11th or 12th?

Have have you decided about those two days between Lyon and Paris , the 11th and 12th of April?

Anyway, I said it before, less can be more. Spend a good 3-1/2 days in Paris. It’s your first time and it’s April in Paris. If you have a day on top of 3-1/2, take that day trip, but stay in France, whether Reims or Normandy or even the Loire.

I ask because our first trip to Paris (2010) was for a week and we just didn’t have the time to venture out to even Versailles or Giverney because there was so much in Paris. Our second trip to Paris (2023) was for just 3-1/2 days and was preceded by a full day in Chartres (that was great) and a quite tiresome day in Versailles. That second visit to Paris (2023), at the end of a 30 day trip to France, involved very little repetition of our first trip - just the Luxembourg Garden. And we did head out to Giverney, wonderful gardens and Monet’s house was delightful. But goodness sake, it was mobbed in early June. Mid April might be great; spring with fewer crowds.

Never been to Reims. Sounds great. Chartres, as someone else suggested, was also great. Not just the cathedral (and we stayed at night and got to enjoy Chartres en Lumieres, which was fun), it also has a phenomenal library, Mediatheque l’Apostrophe that was fun to see and explore for about an hour. Haven’t been to Bayeux, though it sounds special.

Not mentioned was Tours which I think you could do as a day trip and connect with a guide, either to Amboise/Chenonceau or to Chateau Villandry (and Azay le Rideau?). Tours has a lovely medieval part of town and, of course, yet another gothic cathedral. And, some lovely gardens. But Villandry‘s gardens are really superb. Chateau Chaumont’s gardens are also quite elegant.

(Now that I’m on a roll thinking about the Loire, if you could put together a day trip that included just Chaumont and Chenonceaux that would be pretty special. Study up on Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici)

As to London, getting there and back (RT) will be what, 6 hours when you take into account getting to and from train stations in both cities and to whatever museum or sights you want to see in that single day. I know you’re hearing that siren song. But … Vive la France.

acraven - I do get travel insurance and If im remembering right it "should" cover those issues (mentions it doesnt cover planned stikes IF THEY ARE ANNOUNCED BEFORE YOU PURCHASE THE INSURANCE". The 2 I looked at have us meeting at a single point and specifically mentions no hotel pick up, so thats also a bonus. And without looking again, I believe its listed as a 9 or 12 hour tour.

Fred - I ended up editing that post. Im not familiar with the forum so Im not sure if it actually tells people who posted that it was edited. I opted to cancel the dijon portion and spend the 11th (half day) to the 17 (departure) in Paris. 3.5 days wasnt enough time there, even with what I had planned. Now it looks like so far I have an extra day and a day trip seems more than feasible. I am avoiding Versailles like the plague. At least, while the louvre is packed, I can at least freely walk. Every single video/post I saw about it mentions being buffered by the crowd. And while I understand its importance and beauty, there are at least 6 palaces in Paris alone, including the Louvre.

I saw that Loire IS doable as a day trip but is more possible with a tour. Most suggest private but those are super expensive. At least it would balance out the palace/castle id miss in Versailles. But it just doesnt quite make me as excited as the D-day beaches. Juno is kind of a right of passage for Canadians going to France. Its also the one thing that I do really want to do, the price is just making me question it. But as I mentioned above, it would work out roughly the same as a ticket to London and would be much more fulfulling than any other city mentioned. Id rather not choose a day trip only because of easy/price. Getting to Trier from Frankfurt was over 4 hours each way yet it was VERY worth it to see such awesome Roman sites and was well worth the trouble. However there are at least 20 options in this situation. Germany by that point Ive been 3/4 the way across the whole country.

I also havnt taken a look at other tours from Paris. I could very easily be missing something else. Even though the main ones are St michael, monets garden and Versailles. Also the down side is that the day after this, i will be getting up at 5 am or so to make sure I get to the Louvre as early as possible. Im prepared to be there for 7 am if need be to get in line and plan to spend the entire day there, possibly the entire 12 hours (due to sheer will, stubbornness, and a little bit of spite)

I did choose to spend more time in Paris mainly due to your suggestions though so I appreciate it

This summer, for the first time, there was a special local bus service which visited all the D day beaches. It was a scheduled service, so not exactly HOHO, but that was sort of how it functioned, with day tickets. It also specifically connected with Paris trains.
They haven't announced plans for 2025, and you seem to be going in April. That may well be too early for it to be running anyway.
But it was a new option.

I just had to respond to @acraven’s description of the ground floor of the British Museum as a mosh pit - absolutely perfect description for what we experienced this past January! We first visited the British Museum in 1991 and the Rosetta Stone was simply out in the open with a little rope around it and a sign saying Do Not Touch… how things have changed!

Also - responding to OP: “ …I will be getting up at 5 am or so to make sure I get to the Louvre as early as possible. Im prepared to be there for 7 am if need be to get in line and plan to spend the entire day there” I don’t think you have to get in line at 7 am to enter the Louvre when it opens at 10 am. Simply book your ticket online and use the Carrousel entrance rather than the pyramid entrance and you will enter MUCH quicker.

Be sure the D-Days from Paris you are considering will go to Juno Beach. I didn't realize you were Canadian. Overlord runs a separate tour (not the 2FS tour I recommended above) focusing on the Canadian and British sites, but for it you'd need to spend the previous night in Bayeux. I don't know what the Paris-based bus tours do. Omaha and Juno Beaches are about 30 miles (a 50-minute drive) apart, so I would sort of doubt that the same tour goes to both.

A 9-hour tour from Paris would have you on a highway to and from Bayeux for at least 6 hours, leaving only 3 hours to actually see some D-Day sites, and a good bit of that time would be spent covering the distance beyond Bayeux to the tour's first stop. And there's lunch to consider. Are you allowed to eat on the bus?

Is there a reason you cannot head to Bayeux the night before a full-day tour?

OP nothing critical meant but Paris is dead weight anchoring you. Youself analyze places to go very effectively. Out of all of them Reims is a doable day trip. The rest to some degree invite an overnight stay which you seem to be avoiding. Why not consider it that way. Before you consider battlefields read up on the battle. Normandy, Dunkerque and Dieppe all are attractive for that with Dieppe being easiest since Commonwealth forces were confined to a small area in that disastrous raid.

So do Reims if you want a day trip or spend a couple days outside Paris. GOOD LUCK!

acraven - Well I did find one that does Utah and Juno, the american cemetary and the visitor center. Which means there is more time in those places rather than cider tastings (which most have) or hoping between 5 or 6 places (which most also seem to have). Its also 14.5 hrs. So 8 hours there and back (ive done worse) which means 6 hours in those sites, ill say minus the hour and a half? or so for time allotted for lunch. Looks like it starts at 7 am and pick up is near the eiffel tower. $225 canadian. Actually not too bad.

As for staying in Bayeux? Well im not opposed to it. I usually book a hotel and do over night stops (munich and berlin). Its extra money, but saves time from having to check in and out. Bayeux is a nice little town in and of itself so im not opposed. And if there is a strike that day, I could always hope to hop on a train the following morning and rush there. Again, ive done worse lol. Its not a horrible plan. Although, the 14th is a long day (eiffel tower, Invalides, arc du triomphe and pantheon). At least being in that general area makes getting to Saint Lazare not too difficult. But the day would be timed. Once again, ive done worse lol. Hotels in Bayeux seem pretty cheap.

Doing some quick math, hotel is 80 to 130 a night. Train is 60 euro round trip (about 90 canadian) yet the tours are still around 150 to 200 canadian. So it would be more expensive to stay there the night. At least at a quick glance. Depending on what I choose, not by much to definitely more. But being able to explore Bayeux for the evening would be pretty cool.

Veteran Traveler - Im already staying in Avignon/nimes/arles/Marseille and Lyon. I cancelled a stop in Dijon to give more time In paris and the area and seem to have an extra day so I thought I might as well see something else and get out of the city for a day.

Pencilstealer

You more recent comments about your trip and Arcraven’s suggestion about a night in Bayeux suggest you have found your solution. Spend the one night there. See Juno. Enjoy the evening in Bayeux. As to the additional cost, and I see you’re being budget conscious, only you can decide, but in the scheme of things my guess is that its is small

And slowing your day trip down so you can enjoy it more is a great reward.

Bons vacance.

Is the Bayeux hotel really more expensive than the Paris hotel? I try very hard not to make side-trips from high-hotel-cost cities like London and Paris when it's practical to relocate--preferably for more than one night, I admit.

Acraven - Paris hotels were roughly 180 to 400 on average. With the majority being around 200 - 240. SO the hotel isnt more expensive, but hotel (Say 100 canadian) plus train (90 ish canadian) plus tour (200 canadian) is already more than a tour directly from paris. But it still has its merits. The thing is the actual tour of the area seems roughly the same time, depending on the tour. Its a tough call.

Or I just go to Reims or Bordeaux lol. But I do think it would be a shame to go to France and not see some sort of WWII site. Not a deal breaker but its just seems right?